Pieces
by cheesedictator
Summary: Ex-Basketball player now delinquent Kise Ryouta and Fallen Star Aomine Daiki meet in a Pharmacy where chemistry sparkles and love stirs. AU AoKiseAo. Disclaimer in my profile.


Disclaimer in my profile.

Author Note: I started this for Ohbirds on tumblr. I hope she'll enjoy this and everyone else too.

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College student Aomine Daiki didn't differ much from his peers. He too preferred not to work on Sunday nights but unlike those bratty kids he shared classes with, he had no rich parent to pay for his tuition, or, he rather is independent and capable of paying his own bills with his own money. Thankfully, the part time job he got three weeks ago provided him with a good salary and not so annoying situation. He had a night shift that weekend, and the time he was out of the shower, it was eight o'clock. His shift started on nine thirty o'clock. He got dressed in a pair of comfortable faded-blue jeans, a heavy long sleeved white shirt alongside a warm jacket for outdoors. He didn't forget to mat down his naturally spiky hair. His glasses came last; they hid away his feral dark blue eyes that managers from previous part-time jobs complained about being too distractive. He didn't care about the way he looked, as long as he would get paid to do a quiet job. He carried a back-pack one-strapped to his shoulder as he made his way to the close-by pharmacy.

The walk wasn't short but wasn't that lengthy. Aomine's athlete legs carried his tall and built physique easily on the streets of Kanagawa. He couldn't help but spot admiring eyes following his long legs, or blushes forming due to his piercing eyes. Aomine averted his eyes and kept his distance. During his three years in high school, Aomine gained himself the title of an Ace in Basketball throughout the Tokyo prefecture. It came naturally to him since he played the sport since he could articulate sentences. He breathed the air of rubbery basketballs and fell for it deep and hard. His entire life was formed around the subject. Experiences that perfected his skills and ones that pulled him down all were carved into his stony head. Well, all of experiences were bottled in a deep place he wished to not frequent.

It was during the summer leading to college, 16 year old Aomine got into a scuffle that cost him his career. A pack of hoodlums attacked him and broke his knee, nose and colored his tan skin in purple and black in the process. Left out to bleed and die, Aomine was found twelve hour later dumped behind a dumpster. His injuries weren't fatal but the one in his left knee cost him plenty.

Two years of rehabilitations made his young 18 years old heart age sufficiently. Neither his parents nor his team mates could pick up the pieces of him. His arrogant personnel sank into a well; no amount of falling could help him reach into his original passion. His friends, Kuroko and Kagami, all tried their best but even now, as years passed since the accident, he still declined the offer to continue psychological help and was left to meager jobs that didn't spark any interest in his eyes. He wasted time in Tokyo doing nothing but lazing around. He decided that he needed time. If becoming an adult gave him any sort of consultation, then Aomine was going to wait until he was 21, and that was all he said to his parents. He needed time. They gave him time. He consumed it in loneliness he didn't pick. Staying home haunted him. Seeing all those pictures from basketball games, seeing him and his friends in pictures in their sweaty jerseys plunged a hole that got wider and wider with each day.

He applied for a college away from Tokyo and decided to rent a place near the campus in Kanagawa. Got a job to support him as well as accept the allowance his parents sent him on a monthly basis. Although it was fine to just rely on them, he decided to decline any further help during his second year. During his third year in college, with one more year to graduate, Aomine took the steer wheel of his life into hand. He was young in people's eyes, but Aomine couldn't look into his reflection in the mirror without seeing the emptiness that sneaked up in his eyes. Those blue, dark blue eyes always got him in trouble and once he wore those thick glasses, he got into less trouble.

He arrived at the pharmacy half an hour before his shift, not that Mr. Rukawa minded leaving early. The dark haired man gave him a slow wave as he left. Aomine waved back. He dressed into his immaculate white coat and filled in. His job was pretty basic. He already took a pharmacy course and although he didn't look like it, he was a smart guy; he handled his part-time job pretty easily.

That night progressed as slowly as ever. He spent most of the time behind the counter reading a book he brought along or fiddling with some magazine half-heartedly. The lights in the shop illuminated the side of the street and through the glass windows, he saw people younger than him sway drunkenly into the streets. Aomine didn't particularly judge them or anything. They were young, and adults, sure they knew what sort of results were laid out to them due to decisions they took. Albeit he was 24 years old, Aomine took no interest in such activities. Sure, once he arrived there, the loneliness consumed him and he relieved his pain with alcohol. But after an episode with whiskey where he lay in his own vomit for an entire night, he decided he was better off without the morning sickness and hangovers.

His parents knew nothing of his struggle with part time jobs—where he was laid off due to problems he wasn't the cause of— or his alcohol problems. He decided that since they got resolved, they weren't worth mentioning.

He sent back a reply letter home every two weeks, since cell-phones weren't his preferred choice of communication. He doubted the letters were anything sufficient though. He was never articulate enough to spend more than five minutes on those letters. Simple facts like his grades staying above average, thanking his mother for the package of food she sent the last holiday, and sometimes he would reply Tetsuya who currently lived with Kagami attending Tokyo University. Although only Kagami continued playing basketball, Tetsu founded the goal of being a coach and studied there alongside his best friend.

Tetsu was kind enough to never ask the questions his worried mother blabbered on and on about. _When is he ever coming home? Has he met anyone special yet?_ They were fair question to be asked by a mother, but Aomine didn't like them whether they came from his mother or someone else.

Kagami was the usual idiot and his small notes at the bottom of Tetsu's letters were funny and they made him smile whenever he thought back of them. Both of them were only a semester away from graduating and most of the time spoke badly of their professors or internship managers. Well, Kagami did that, Tetsu just chose to ignore them and continue on living a transparent college life.

_It is winter and soon enough, Kagami is going to take part in the college Basketball games. He asked me to invite you to the first game. _

Aomine recalled Tetsu's last letter, posted first November. The first game with Kagami's team starts on first of December. That gave him a long month to think of going back. He would probably meet his own team-mates in their respective teams. People will recognize him, never mind the glasses or the change of character, Aomine Daiki was an idol deeply missed in the Basketball field. Many high school students proclaimed being his successors, Kagami once slipped in. It made Aomine smile instead of feel bitter. That would have been him before moving away, before he built a life for himself. However comfortable he was now though, he couldn't just pack and go back. That needed a nice amount of thinking on his part.

The clink of the door of the pharmacy opening brought him back to reality. He gave a glance to his left and saw a tall blonde man entering the place. It took him only one glance to measure up that long height, muscle so lean that they filled out the guy's outfit nicely. Composing of black skinny jeans, turtle neck green t-shirt that didn't hide a heavy looking layer of tattoos spread on his neck and near his left ear, the blonde looked a tad too stunning to be walking alone in the middle of the night during the weekend. Aomine's heart picked up the speed as he squinted to see the details in which those tattoos were carved on fair skin. The blonde wore a plaid shirt, also of dark colors; blue and black and green. The colors somehow made his short fluff of a hair stand out more than any blonde dye did. Although his hair covered his ears, Aomine spotted a small piercing in his left ear. The man's gait was heavy and slow, his eyes seized up the shop but his actions didn't worry Aomine, the guy was a tad too underweight to rob a _pharmacy_ out of all places.

"Welcome, how may I help you?" he said quietly once the blonde stood there, rocking on the heels of his black boots.

"Oh yea… I want to get a Helix piercing." The blonde still wouldn't look at Aomine in the eyes though Aomine clearly did so and wished otherwise. What sort of eyes went with such foreign looking hair and pouty lips? He noticed disturbingly for a long moment before he snapped into reality and continued to do his job.

"Follow me please." Aomine gave a glance to the door before moving from behind the counter. He wished the place wouldn't look like an easy robbery to anyone while they got this done with. The shuffle of his trousers created soft noise as his long legs guided them both to a corner in the pharmacy. He slid behind another counter to lay out the earrings. He asked, "Which one would you like?" he peeked to look at the blonde's expression. He looked gloomy, in a way. His full lips pursed in a long line and his blonde brows furrowed. _Definitely natural_, Aomine commented mentally on the yellowness of this man's hair.

The blonde took a very long look at the earrings; he eyed the price tags underneath each one before selecting a plain metal stud. Aomine nodded absentmindedly and reached into the cupboard for the instrument required. He put on a pair of latex gloves and ushered the blonde guy into a chair. "Sit here and tell me where you'd like it."

Just then, the guy's brown eyes met his for the first time since he stepped foot in to the pharmacy. Aomine's eyes widened slightly at the sight of a very familiar face. He knew this guy. Even if he had a lip piercing and his face was slightly skinnier than how he looked during his glorified days. This man was the very talented Basketball Player Kise Ryouta. Aomine knew him through TV Shows that endlessly interviewed the star player during his first year in college. The blonde hair and the cheery attitude always caught Aomine's attention. The person in front of him, however, was nothing like the smiling success he saw in TV and magazines. He couldn't help but wonder what kind of tragedy managed to paint this man's honey jars for eyes in grayscale.

Kise's long fingers reached back to tuck his long fringe behind his ear. He revealed a small shell. Aomine gave it a long look. He used a pen to mark the spot. He reached for a mirror to be assured. "There's no need for that, just do it," Kise prompted him, his eyes downward and his ordeal showing on his face. The man didn't want the piercing.

"Here I come," Aomine murmured as he leaned closer after spraying something that numbed Kise's ear. He saw the prominent Adam's apple move as Kise swallowed and shut his eyes.

It was quick and done in a second. Aomine looked down at his handiwork. When he offered the mirror again, he faced the same reaction. Kise ruffled his hair in order for it to fall onto his ear, covering up the gleaming metal.

"Thanks."

They walked back to the counter. Aomine's broad shoulders brushed against Kise as they did so. He couldn't help but want to meddle and know why Kise looked so down. He said nothing as he typed the receipt. Kise paid quietly but when Aomine reached to give him the change, he couldn't help but say.

"If you feel unsatisfied, make sure to contact me, Kise-san." He handed him an extra note, with the pharmacy's contact numbers. Aomine couldn't help but take notice of the visible shudder that went through Kise's body at the sound of his name in Aomine's baritone voice.

Kise then looked into Aomine's eyes for the second time. A tense emotion gripped Aomine by the heart and made his lips curl in a grin. Kise's eyes twinkled at the sign of that mouth grinning at him and he gave a little smile. He slid the card into his pocket and followed it by a salute.

Kise gave Aomine's name tag a quick glance before he murmured, "Will do, Aomine-san." Aomine couldn't help but let the grin turn into a feral smile, promising.

The jingle following Kise's exit bummed Aomine. That was the most fun he'd ever had with anyone else in months. He wasn't shy, not at all, and during the months he spent hugging that bottle of alcohol, he'd had amazing sex with so many people—protected sex. Through experiences, he discovered his sexual inclination. While he never judged Kuroko and Kagami for having a little special relationship, he himself found how much gripping making love to another man. It was stupid to call it 'love making' when they did was fuck like bunnies.

During the time he let go, he'd had some irreplaceable _fun_ with Imayoshi Shoichi, a senior at college that took interest in Aomine upon seeing him in a bar. They remained friends and just friends. Imayoshi tried to sneak some benefits into the deal, but Aomine decided he'd had enough with wasting time on sex and alcohol. Imayoshi graduated a year ago, and now worked as a Pediatric at a local health center, which always baffled Aomine how such a cunning man with very unlikable personality could be a Pediatric. Aomine sort of just shrugged off Imayoshi's personality since he too had a side of him that just repulsed others or encouraged them to plant a fist in his face more than once.

While Imayoshi was fun, Kise was more, he smelled of amazement that Aomine wanted to dip his entire self into and never surface. The interest that those brown eyes grew in Aomine's chest had him growling softly. His fingers tickled to feel that rosy skin and his palms ached to touch the soft hair. Never mind that Kise looked like a walking dead. Sure there were things that would piqué the man's interest. Sadly for Aomine, he wasn't good with people, living alone and avoiding social contact did that to him.

During waking hours, Aomine Daiki lived inside his self-built cocoon but during near sleeping time, he couldn't help but be invaded with brown eyes that twinkled and caught him in a web.

There times when he was with Satsuki that somehow gave him a little hope of ever regaining his confidence back. Satsuki Momoi was a piece of pie everyone on campus bared teeth to bite into. More than often, she chose Aomine to chat up. As usual, it was his table—far to the left in the canteen, away from the buzzing students spread in the center—to plant her nice round butt during lunch. Aomine gave her a smirk—shaking her hips before she squirmed down into the chair—since that act wasn't for nothing, she was hunting, hunting for food, surely. The quiet following her arrival boosted her ego. Her smile was subtle but Aomine caught it when he glanced up from his book. He placed the bookmark between the pages and laid it on his left.

"Who's the target?" it was usual pattern. She comes in without money every morning and every morning, she plays one of the guys into buying her food. More than once did a fight break out on who will get to buy her the meal. Aomine enjoyed his front seat in the play.

"That cutie," she sweetly said aloud so that people eavesdropping could hear. Heads turned to where Satsuki manicured finger pointed at.

"They're all 'cuties' in your eyes, which one?" he took a sip from his coffee, it helped clear his head.

"Sakurai Ryou." Said man sat with two of his friends but since everyone kept glancing at him, the nervousness in his personality overflowed him. More than once, he dropped his fork and nervously apologized. His companions, one of them known as the hot tempered and loud Wakamatsu glared back at some of the guys envying Sakurai's situation. Oh, Aomine felt so bad for the guy.

"Oh come on, Satsuki, go easy on the guy; you know he's gay." Aomine felt bad for the guy. No one Satsuki weaved a spider web for managed to escape it. Not even he could. He remembered the time he was cornered by her batted eyelashes and her boobs. Boobs were a big weakness of his. Without thought, he bought her the sugared donut she practically wept for.

"Exactly! I want to test if I can straighten one of you into buying me breakfast." Aomine smirked and couldn't help but snigger at her scheme. Her narrowed lazy eyes widened when she gave him a long glance.

"Wait a minute, you are smiling so openly. Something bad happened?"

"Isn't that supposed to be 'something good happened?'" His smile disappeared as if on a cue. Satsuki chewed on the inside of her mouth as she lamented her stupid commented that wiped the softness from his eyes.

"Sorry, sorry, I meant something must have happened. So, which one is it?" she eyed him carefully as he checked his watch.

"I'd definitely say something 'good.'" He kept it short and began to collect his stuff. "I got to run, my shift begins shortly."

"Wait, aren't you taking too many shifts at that old pharmacy? Why do you need so much money?"

"I don't. I just need to be there." His ambiguousness made her blow her cheeks in annoyance and he smirked in response. To poke some reaction from her audience he leaned down and pecked her head. "See you," he whispered and left in a light gait.

The result of his little PDA definitely caused her a little trouble. The guys were enraged and betrayed while the girls were awed at Aomine's coolness.

Well, he was definitely cold. He didn't dress warm enough to stop the tremor from spreading through his body. He got to the Pharmacy in a short sprint; he changed carefully as the warmth of the heater spread nice goose bumps along his lean back. November was cold and threatened to freeze him to death once upon a time when he forgot his favorite parka at the apartment. He didn't mind that now, he had it nestled nicely under his sweater. He matted down the few long strands of hair that were disturbed from their nice slump by his long sprints along the streets. He adjusted his glasses and went into the shop. Rukawa's silent greeting as usual as comforting as Satsuki's fussing over him. They worked side by side silently. Rukawa had some new stuff he needed to sort at the back so Aomine had to handle the front by himself.

He doesn't know if it was the morning sun or Kise that brightened the place. Anyway, once the blonde stepped into the premises, he couldn't help the smile off his mouth. Even if he looked over-eager, he could care less. Nothing can piss him off.

Kise was dressed in a much warmer outfit than last time and he looked less shaken as well. His faded grey jeans fitted nicely but not too snuggle to stop blood circle. The turtle neck replaced with a black V cut t-shirt with a heavy green sweater and a puffy black parka on top. A nice checkered scarf was wrapped in what looked ten folds around Kise's neck, but that too didn't stop his ears from flushing a deep red. His nose and mouth were rosy with a dusty blush spreading on his high cheeks once he stepped before Aomine in his heavy boots.

"Welcome, how may I help you?" Aomine's greeting was in a low register and said far too eagerly to seem professional; not that he cared about that.

"I'm feeling a bit discomfort with my piercing." Kise's hand came out of his heavy gloves and poked around his right ear.

"Definitely, I'll prescribe a cream for that," Aomine murmured, his smile in place as his hands got to work. He could see Kise's fidgeting. Obviously he wanted to ask for some other _medicine._

"Also, I can't seem to fall asleep. Could you… take care of that as well?" Kise tilted his head to the left softly. Aomine seemed to be on the edges of losing his marbles upon the cute act. Was Kise flirting in day light so flauntingly and easily? "Please?" Definitely, yes to his inquiry since Kise was as forward as a guy can be.

"Maybe a sleeping pill could fix—" he looked at his right at the collection of sleeping pills but Kise leaned in eagerly and stopped him from reaching for a pack.

"No, no, I can't take those, I'm sensitive—" Aomine's eyes couldn't help but looked up and down at that body leaning into the counter, making him doubt he could stop himself from laying possessive hands on that _sensitive _body.

"Then…"

"Would you go out with me?" Kise's sentence stopped the oxygen from exiting Aomine's mouth and he stood there looking with a stoic expression. Kise's smile stayed there for as long as Aomine needed.

"Aomine-kun, do you have an idea where I placed—" Mr. Rukawa's voice broke his haze. Both men straightened up, and Aomine didn't even realize he was leaning forward into Kise's personal space.

"Oh, I'm sorry, continue with the customer." Kise smiled softly at Rukawa but excused himself once he paid Aomine. He didn't forget to slip in _his_ card this time. Scribbled on the hard paper was 'call me.' Oh, Aomine would definitely be interesting in getting a cell-phone now.

Once Kise left, Aomine felt like he floated in a haze. Very much unlike him, he thought. Back in his dating era—actually, he'd never had 'dating' era since basketball was his passion and the phase he took up upon moving away from home included nothing like dating and a lot like random—yet safe—hook ups.

Eager to call Kise, Aomine didn't feel the hours pass by. There were times during his life he couldn't recall due to the excitement that laced his senses but lying down to sleep, Aomine couldn't help but recall every detail in both of his encounters with such interesting creature like Kise, who, of all kind of people held such private and charming aura.


End file.
